Accidental necessity

In philosophy and logic, accidental necessity, often stated in its Latin form, necessitas per accidens, refers to the necessity attributed to the past by certain views of time. It is a controversial concept: its supporters argue that it has intuitive validity while others contest it creates a contradiction in terms by positing such a thing as a "contingent necessity." It is especially important in contemporary discussions of logical and theological fatalism.

References

• http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/free-will-foreknowledge/